The Burglar Who Painted Like Mondrian cover art

The Burglar Who Painted Like Mondrian

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The Burglar Who Painted Like Mondrian

By: Lawrence Block
Narrated by: Richard Ferrone
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About this listen

After appraising the worth of a rich man's library—conveniently leaving his fingerprints everywhere in the process—Bernie finds he's the cops' prime suspect when his client is murdered.

It’s not that used bookstore owner and part-time burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr believes the less legal of his two professions is particularly ethical. (It is, however, a rush, and he is very good at it.) He just thinks it’s unfair to face a prison term for his legitimate activities. After appraising the worth of a rich man’s library—conveniently leaving his fingerprints everywhere in the process—Bernie finds he’s the cops’ prime suspect when his client is murdered.

Someone has framed Bernie Rhodenbarr better than they do it at the Whitney. And if he wants to get out of this corner he’s been masterfully painted into, he’ll have to get to the bottom of a rather artful—if multiply murderous—scam.

©1993 Lawrence Block (P)1999 Recorded Books, LLC Mystery Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction Thief
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When Bernie Rhodenbarr's friend and dog washer extraordinaire, Caroline, told him her cat had been kidnapped, he was only one way to ransom Archie: steal a painting. But that proved even more tricky than expected for the second hand bookseller and burglar.

Richard Ferrone narrates as Bernie in this even more convoluted than usual plotting filled with apparent coincidences, twists and a couple of murders, all bound together with wit, great dialogue and obsevations.
Always a fun read, and recommend

"They've kidnapped Archie Goodwin."

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I'm a fan of Lawrence Block so I don't mind that all Burglar novels are plotted to the same formula: burglary is arranged and executed, then something goes wrong (usually involving, or resulting in, a corpse), Bernie has to go underground for a while (often in the company of a lovely dame) and eventually solves it all. It's not as dark as Chandler or as violent as Hammett, but Block's New York is also full of bent cops and crooked middle-class people. Not much left of the credibility of the American dream. It's not really the plotting that's exciting but the wit of hard-boiled prose. It's the amiability of this slightly weather-beaten guy who's good at burglary, who is intelligent enough to entertain serious readers since he, too, reads, and whose best buddy is a lesbian with a dog-grooming parlour; all of these traits make for a companionable listening experience. The dialogue sparkles and the narration jogs along at a good pace. What's not to like? Richard Ferrone has exactly the right intonation and timbre to give Bernie the edge the prose demands. Really enjoyable.

Hardboiled Wit

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this story did confuse me - I like to sherlock my way through stuff....boringly guessing left right & fishcakes
I loved this - as usual thank you block for helping me get through Mudane stuff with your writing as my Guiding Light

The Fun of it All

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